We Tried Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Oreo Cookies, Opinions Are Mixed

Oreos have come a long way in the novelty flavor category — Berry Creme, Birthday Cake, WATERMELON (wtf?) — and the latest comes from the marriage of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and the sandwich cookie classic. The new limited edition flavor launched June 9, so we decided to try them because, why not?

The Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Oreo features a dual-side frosting center: While one side is peanut butter, the other side is an ambiguous dark brown that we assume must be chocolate. Like a Reese’s. For those of you expecting the chocolate cookie to play the role of the smooth chocolaty exterior, prepare for a change in the game, for better or worse.

It turns out, a lot of whether you enjoy the cookie-candy combo or not comes down to expectation setting. Did you expect it to taste like an Oreo? You should probably prepare to be disappointed. Did you expect it to taste like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup? You should also prepare to be disappointed.

Regardless, we decided it was only appropriate to taste test the new cookies for the sake of journalism. OBVIOUSLY.

The peanut butter definitely is reminiscent of the gritty, super sugary fill you find in a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, but the chocolate half leaves a lot to be desired. Also, we found the Oreo’s that partially melted during the car ride back to taste dramatically worse than the ones that remained solid.

And for others, it was rocking the boat in an already solid pairing:

Sanjay: Reese’s has a good combo with peanut butter and chocolate. The Oreo Reese’s feels like a third wheel in an already good relationship.

And of course, it comes down to how you’re eating the new Oreo. The frosting is split down the center, part peanut butter, part (as we said before) what we assume to be chocolate:

Chelsea: First, I bit through the Oreo for the whole intended flavor experience. First thing I’m met with from my typical favorite cookie brand? Sugar. Just grainy, sweet sugar. You don’t taste the peanut butter until you’re almost finished with your first bite. I then broke the cookie apart, the way I typically eat Oreos. I licked the peanut butter side. To my disappointment, it wasn’t quite peanut butter. Just a sugar-peanut meld. On the second half, the “chocolate side,” I realized if I closed my eyes it doesn’t taste like chocolate. A similar experience to eating red velvet cake with your eyes closed. There is also less cream per cookie, which is probably the biggest disappointment.

But in the end, we just deemed them to lack in peanut butter flavor:

David: When I said that “they’re not peanut-buttery enough,” what I meant was that they’re not peanut-buttery enough.

Hilary: I’m with David. These Oreos are the equivalent of a grilled cheese made with half a slice of cheese. Weak.

But then maybe it’s about changing your expectations?

Glenn: Don’t expect it to taste like an Oreo or a Reese’s — Kind of like the Reese’s cereal.

Many questions remain: Would this have tasted better with a plain vanilla cookie? That way the flavor profile of the peanut butter and supposedly chocolate goo could shine through — but then would we lose our classic Oreo flavoring? Is the point of a novelty Oreo to still taste like a regular Oreo with a new flavor accent? Would these taste better with milk? What about on a sundae? Maybe a peanut butter sundae to counterbalance the lack of peanut-buttery-ness. And what is that chocolate goo, anyway?